Thanksgiving Sides: 5 Alternatives to Sweet Potato Casserole

Are you planning your Thanksgiving menu yet? Sticking to the tried-and-true dishes or are you trying to branch out? We know everyone has different traditions (sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top isn't a given) but over the next couple of days, we'd like to give you some alternatives to the straight-from-central-casting side dishes you usually see. First up, sweet potatoes.

We tackled the hardest one, for us, anyway, first. We do really love whipped sweet potatoes with a crumbly, brown sugar topping or toasted marshmallows. When we've tried to skip them in favor of something more modern, we've had complaints.

That said, these recipes look great—even if we have to save them for a non-Thanksgiving night.

• 2. Sweet Potato and Sage Gratin, from the Kitchn. One of our favorite sweet potato recipes. Not too sweet but full of sweet potato flavor.

• 3. Warm Butternut Squash and Chickpea Salad, from Smitten Kitchen (via Orangette). A slight departure from sweet potatoes, but in the same vein. Friends made this for us on Saturday night- different and delicious.